ENTRY REJECTED

Hokitika Guardian, 5 July 1932, Page 2

ENTRY REJECTED

6 CROUPIER AT WELLINGTON. REGISTRATION OF ( OWNERSHIP. WELLINGTON, July 2/ An extraordinary position, unprecedented in the h.siory of racing in New Zealand, lire arisen in connection with the racehorse Croupier, says the sporting .writer ol' the “Dominion”. His sensational • seizure at Riccarton last- November, followed by the recent Supreme Court proceedings in Auckland, have kept' him well in the pubv lie eye. Now a' new development has ar.’iitn. Croupier was entered for events at the Wellington winter meeting at Trentham this month, and his name duly appeared in the nomination lists. He was not, however, in the list of handicaps published this week. The secretary of the Wellington Racing Club states that his entry has been refused cn .the ground that it i,? not in order under tlie Rules of Racing.

The rule under which the nomination was refused is 116, clause 2, mibclause (a) and clause 1, which date that any horse affected by any unregistered joint Interest shall be declared to be ineligible to be entered for or to start ih ally race, He shall under the same rule be prohibited frpili being" trained lipoil any raceCoUrSe Or training track owned under the jurisdiction of any racing club.

From August last Croupier raced under the registered joint interests of Messrs J, J, Corry and oohn and Jamas Paterson, in the ration of 50 per cent, to Mr Corry and 25 per cent to each cf the Mecsrs Paterson. Acting through an agent the Messrs Paterson seized the horse on the concluding day of the New Zealand Cup meeting, last November as he wa3 leaving ‘the course after competing in the Stead Cup.. Croupier wus taken to Auckljjnd, where be has remained under the orders of the Messrs Paterson ever si ice.

Mr Cory wenb to law, but after a hearing in the Supreme Court at Auckland 'Sir Alexander Herdman found in favour of the Messrs'Paterson, and dissolved the partnership. It was not within his .power or jurisdiction' to dissolve the registration of the joint .interest ol the' parties lodged with the Racing Confei'ence. ■

. Apparently the Messrs Paterson have entered 'Croupier , for events ahead under the impression' that, tho Supreme Caurt; judgment: cancelled the. registered joint interest in the offices of th©. Racing ConThat is not so. They have neglected'to apply for a registration of a joint interest between themselves in Croupier, as required under the Rules of Racing, and no joint interest being •so registered the Wellington Racing Club has refused the entry. if /the action of the Wellington Club is cofrectj which it 'has every appearance of being, Croupier, who k&s been, wonking regularly on the EfferSlie tracks for several weeks,- has hud no fight, under •the Ruleu of Racing, to be there, ■So far as the legal aspect of the situation is concerned, Mr Corry has appealed against the judgment of Sir Alexander' Herdman, but pending such appeal Iff wil.be in order for the Messrs Paterson to make application for registration of Croupier in their joint interests. What action the Racing Conference might take, or what is their view- of the complioaMed situation, the president, Mr 0. S. Watkins, while the case th© sub -judice, is not prepared to state.